This invention is directed toward a jewelry attachment means that permits one article of jewelry such as a pendant, charm, or the like to be attached to another article of jewelry such as a necklace, chain, bracelet, anklet, and the like. More particularly, this invention is directed toward a single unit jewelry attachment means that enables a user to readily and easily securely attach two, separate or different articles of jewelry to each other without fear of having the attachment means becoming undone and losing an article of jewelry. Even more particularly, the jewelry attachment means of the invention permits a plurality of jewelry articles to be securely connected to one another or a plurality of jewelry articles such as pendants, charms, and the like to be securely connected to a single article of jewelry such as a necklace, chain, bracelet, anklet, or the like.
Various jewelry attachment devices have been developed through the years and are well known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 331,798 to Lettre discloses a bracelet having flexible side portions attached to a centered jewelry ornament to facilitate attaching and removing the bracelet.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,434,590 to Chafetz discloses a finger ring having another ring mounted transverse to it to hold a cigarette.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,061,655 to Granat discloses a means to attach a pair of rings such as an engagement ring and a wedding band to each other to prevent the rings from moving, accidentally falling off a finger, and to impart balance of the rings to the wearer.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,138,596 to Fassnacht discloses a bracelet or chain necklace equipped with circular links to which charms or other jewelry adornments can be attached.
U.S. Pat. Des No. 109,800 to Foss discloses a finger ring having charms attached to it.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,462,425 to Pratt, et.al. discloses a clasp for securing the ends of a flexible strand of jewelry such as a snake chain, braid, string o pearls, string of beads, and the like to each other. The locking element of the clasp has a body portion carrying a hinged member and a latching nose at the opposite end of the hinge which engages a lip formed on the upper end of the body portion of the locking element.
U.S. Pat. Des No. 155,167 to Kerchner discloses an ornamental finger ring having a rope like element coiled about it that forms the mounting means for setting gemstones.
U.S. Pat. Re No. 24,798 to Lund discloses a double or side-by-side U-shaped channel member for securing two finger rings together such as an engagement ring and a wedding band to prevent movement of the rings relative to one another and to prevent accidental loss of that ring worn closest to the end of the wearer""s finger.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,122,900 to Baghetto, Jr. discloses a locking means to secure a pendant to a necklace chain. The locking means has an inverted, U-shaped locking wire positioned between adjacent loops attached to a pendant so that the U-shaped locking wire would be transverse to a necklace chain. One end of the U-shaped locking wire is threaded into a first, threaded hole provided in the pendant mounting base and the other end of the U-shaped locking wire is received in a second hole formed in the pendant mounting base opposite the first, threaded hole.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,028,908 to Michael discloses a school ring charm having an eyelet and a loop for connecting the charm to a neck chain or the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,022,237 to Monderer, et.al. discloses a jewelry attachment means for attaching a charm to a bracelet so as not to obscure the upper surface of the bracelet or gemstones that might be set in the upper surface of the bracelet. The attachment means has parallel, U-shaped members that fit over the bracelet and a rotatable locking arm and female member that secure the U-shaped members to the bracelet.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,031,420 to Song discloses a jewelry attachment means for attaching a pendant to a necklace. The attachment means has a pair of interlocking, arcuate elements which are positioned at a right angle to one another. A first element intended to receive a necklace or chain has an arm swivably attached at one end to engage the other end of the element when the arm is swiveled to a closed position. A second element receives a connecting loop on the pendant to be attached to the necklace or chain. The second element has a locking bar swivably attached adjacent an eyelet at one end of the element. The eyelet receives the first latching element before its arm is swiveled to a closed position.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,479,795 to Neri discloses a fish hook shaped clasp for connecting the ends of a bracelet or necklace together. The fish hook is seated and secured between two housing members and is engaged by a rotatable member whose free end is configured to interact with the free end of the fish hook.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,606,874 to Archetti, et.al. discloses a detachable jewelry ornamentation device that can be selectively secured at different positions on a necklace, bracelet, anklet, or the like. The device has a base plate member with a clamping arm pivotally secured to one end thereof; a clamping zone means intermediate the ends of the plate member; and means to engage the clamping arm in a closed position. A necklace, bracelet, anklet, or the like is positioned on the clamping zone means and the clamping arm is pivoted over it to secure the device to the jewelry article at that point.
While the jewelry attachment means described above are useful and are of interest, they generally require relatively complex maneuvers to complete attachment, are limited in their utility and are costly to manufacture.
By contrast, the jewelry attachment means of this invention permits a user to readily and easily attach separate articles of jewelry to one another with the assurance that the jewelry articles are secure and will not become separated and accidentally lost. The jewelry attachment means of this invention is also flexible to permit several articles of jewelry to be attached to one another or to permit several articles of jewelry to be attached to a single article of jewelry or combinations thereof. In addition, the jewelry attachment means of this invention is of relatively simple construction making it economical to produce.
In general, the jewelry attachment means of the invention comprises: a face member having opposed, spaced apart ends and opposed, spaced apart sides; wall portions perpendicularly extending from said sides adjacent each of said ends; a rear member having opposed, spaced apart ends and opposed spaced apart sides; hinge means hingeably securing said face member to said rear member adjacent common ends of said face member and said rear member; an inverted, L-shaped retaining bar member secured to said face member adjacent said wall portions at that end of said face member opposite said hinge means; and, lock means to securely lock said face member to said rear member.
When the rear member is securely locked to the face member, a pair of spaced apart channels are formed within the attachment means. One channel is formed adjacent the hinge means and can serve to receive a necklace, bracelet, anklet and the like. The other channel is formed between the inverted L-shaped retaining bar and the end opposite the hinge end and can serve to receive a pendant, charm, or the like.
While any suitable lock means can be used to secure the face member to the rear member, the lock means in one embodiment of the invention is provided by one or more male lock members protruding from the inner surface of the rear member which mate with female lock members provided on the upwardly extending walls adjacent the L-shaped retaining member.
The L-shaped retaining bar member is preferably positioned so that its short leg is secured to the inner surface of the face member and its long leg extending substantially parallel to the inner surface of the face member adjacent one end thereof between the upwardly extending wall portions.
The jewelry attachment means can be produced to have any desired geometric configuration when the face member and the rear member are securely locked to one another. For example, the shape of the jewelry attachment means can be oval, round or circular, spherical, triangular, square, diamond, heart, hour glass, and the like or can be a free form configuration.